To Paradise
by x.X.RaINy.DAy
Summary: At first sight, Eustass Kid had caught her staring and tried to beat her up. At second sight, Eustass Kid had tried to throw her overboard. But the third time's the charm right? At third sight, Eustass Kid had said "I-I'll f****** kill you!"...or maybe not. KidXOC maybe slight KillerXOC
1. To Live

To Paradise

Chapter 01

"To Live"

* * *

The fires blazed against a background of darkness, lighting the islands like day.

_It was the end._

The flames roared again, and the girl's skin blistered from the heat. She stumbled back, arms thrown over her face. It was as if the world was on fire, even the sky was bleeding red from the fire that stretched upwards.

The ground was the same. Stained red with so much blood; blood that had been spilled meaninglessly. The metallic smell was so thick she could taste it on her tongue, smothering and sickening. But she ignored it all; after all, the world was already burning and nothing could stop it.

"Oi! Dieci! What are you standing there for?!" A familiar voice was yelling, but it sounded so faint, so far away.

Screams wailed through the smoky air all around, buildings toppled, crumbled and fell into ash beneath her feet. Dieci simply watched as civilians fled from their burning homes with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

Someone grabbed her by the arm and dragged her back, she looked up and saw pale face, sharp grey eyes, high cheekbones and a mess of silvery hair.

"Zero…" The name found its way past her lips, cracked and stinging.

"What are you doing standing there frozen like that?! Hurry up and run! We'll all die if we stay here!" Zero shouted, hauling her along behind him like a rag doll. "Don't turn back!"

"It is over." She said as she began to stumble along the rocky path, almost tripping if not for the hand clamped like a steel band over her arm.

"No it's not! Nothing's over yet!" Zero snapped back with a growl, "You, me, all of us. We're going to get out of here alive!"

"What is the point?" She ignored the disbelieving look Zero shot her, "Even if we manage to escape alive, we will always be hunted down, now that they have no use for us anymore..." She murmured, looking back at the flames, "Why not just die-"

Without warning, a fist slammed into her cheek sending her staggering backwards. Dieci recovered in an instant, jerking her head back with curling lips "What are you-?"

A hand suddenly yanked her up by the front so she could barely touch the ground with her toes. Above her Zero snarled at her with teeth bared, steel grey eyes glazing "You'll die just because they try to kill us? Because they told us to?" Zero shook her viciously, making her head snap back "I thought you were stronger than this!"

In a flash, Zero found himself stumbling back, ear ringing from the blow that slammed his head back. Before him, Dieci let out a yell "Then what do you want me to do?!"

"For all my life, I've followed their orders, did everything they told me. I believed their ideals, their actions." Staring down at her hands, she clenched them, "I thought that I was right, no matter what I did, how many I killed. My actions were always justified and now…" She looked up, steel grey eyes blazing.

"And now you're telling me to forget everything?" She gave a humourless bark of laughter, "As my world is burning, you tell me to live? For someone like me to live in this world, I don't even know what to do! I don't-" She choked off as her throat seemed to constrict, leaving her struggling for breath.

Zero watched as she spun on her heel and breathed harshly, shoulders shaking as she tried to regain control. For a moment, even as the world crumbled it was quiet between them.

"Please," Zero suddenly spoke in a low voice, "please don't cry."

Dieci gave a start, hand flying up to her cheeks to feel the wet trails. She was surprised. How long has it been since she cried? She couldn't remember. Rearing back she swiped at her eyes furiously as Zero glanced from side to side nervously.

They couldn't stay here any longer.

"Dieci."

"What?" She muttered as she swiped the last of the tears away and turned to him.

"You are strong." Zero placed a hand on her shoulder, "One of the strongest person I have ever known. You are stubborn, blunt, sarcastic and really, _really_ thick-headed at times," –Dieci twitched and gave him a warning glare-"and you are a comrade, my dearest friend." Zero threw in a toothy grin, handsome regardless of the blood and grime and despite the situation she felt her lips twitch upwards in response.

His expression turned serious again, "So please don't speak of dying okay? Live, if not for my sake."

Dieci stared at him for a moment, and then let out a tremendous sigh. "I understand, I will try not to…die."

"That's the girl I know." Zero began to run, and she followed behind.

"You say you don't know what to do even if you escape." Zero suddenly said even as they sped through thick undergrowth.

Dieci stared at the back of his head, watching his silvery spikes of hair whip around in the wind. Without looking back, Zero continued on "You will see the world, meet many people and learn how to live, _that_ is what you will do."

Zero shot a smirk over his shoulder at her blank face, "Pretty simple right?"

Dieci could only nod and murmur, "Indeed…"

All of a sudden, the night became day and the ground beneath their feet exploded. Dieci was flung into dense foliage, biting back a cry when pain laced up her left arm along with a sickening crack. A wet cough drew Dieci's attention away from her broken arm. Zero sat back against a trunk, blood pouring down his front in a mess of red.

"Zero!" She yelled, lurching to her feet and sprinting to his side.

"Zero…" Falling to her knees before the man, her hands fluttered mindlessly for a moment before they ripped off a big strip of cloth from her shirt and pressd it against the wound.

"Don't…" He rasped, fingers grabbing her wrists weakly. Dieci batted him away with an angry hiss, "Stop moving you fool, do you want to die?"

He fell silent, pale eyes darkened with pain drinking in her face…because, this time, it might be the last time he would ever see her.

"Die…ci…"

"Be quiet." She muttered back, as she continued to apply pressure to the wound.

"They're…coming…" At the same moment, light began to flash behind and she barely had enough time to grab Zero by the arm and yank them both out of way as a beam shot through the tree Zero had leaned on.

And they did come. One after the other, they were towering figures with the same form and face. Walls of power which could not be contended with, their giant forms used to intimate and instil utter fear into hundreds and thousands of people.

The newly developed human weapons – Pacifista.

Hoisting Zero's arm around her shoulders, Dieci turned and fled. She stood no chance against them right now and...Her eyes flitted down to Zero, hanging limply beside her, skin now a sickly white. She had to get away quickly.

But, it was not easy. Dieci soon found herself sprawled on the ground, bleeding from the stomach and gasping like a fish out of water. They stood above her, impassive faces staring down pitilessly as she struggled onto her knees and reached for Zero.

Zero who was in a pool of his own blood, the Pacifist ignored him because they had deemed him already near-death. Dieci would not acknowledge that.

"Bear with me…I will get you out of here."

Zero didn't move, "Go…"

The Pacifista swarmed her, opening their mouths and hands to shoot beams. It was simply impossible for her to dodge all of them and the surroundings once again erupted by the force of the assault.

It hurt so much. Her bones, her muscles, her skin, even her hair. Everything hurt so damn much, but she stood anyway. After all, that was how they had trained her to be.

And Zero couldn't bear to watch anymore.

_"GO!"_

She didn't reply as she charged again, landing a few blows on the Pacifista before she was thrown back by a swing of its arm.

She skidded to a halt before Zero, "…Shut up Zero, you are distracting me."

"Run, save yourself…"

"I…refuse." She breathed and forced herself up with shaking arms.

"Did you…" He gave another hacking cough, "…listen to a thing…I said before?"

"I am Dieci," She replied as she slowly rose to her knees, "strong, stubborn, blunt and thick-headed."

Zero stared up at her with a slightly open mouth, "I am your dearest friend and if living means to leave you to your death, I would rather die here." She gave a slight smile, "I will not back down."

"Ha…" Zero let out a little chuckle, despite the pain he felt, both in his chest and from his wounds "You…are too stubborn."

It was the end, she couldn't go on for any longer ad so she just smiled, "Thank you."

The Pacifista surrounded her now, light flashing from open mouths and palms. She closed her eyes-

"Stop." A soft baritone voice rang out over the buzzing of the Pacifista.

Dieci felt a cold chill run down her spine. She didn't even bother to look up as the ominous footsteps came closer and closer until his shadow fell over her. Grey eyes lifted to see the bible the stoic man held in one gloved hand, "Bartholomew Kuma."

Dieci gave a humourless smirk, "Have you come to kill us too?"

"If you were to travel, where would you like to go?"

She stared at him for a moment, "…Please spare Zero, I beg of you."

Dieci thought she heard a brief voice of protest. The Shichibukai lifted a hand and for the briefest moment, she heard Zero's yell.

A single hand descended, and then-

Darkness.

* * *

_Author notes:_

_It's been quite a while since I last posted something on fanfiction and I am a tad bit nervous...So, what do you think? Give me any advice if you want, it will be appreciated as long as it is contructive criticism._

_This is just a bit of an intro to introduce my OC, show a bit of her personality and how she interacts with other people. Also, don't ignore Zero, I think he might pop up in later chapters and bring a little chaos into the plot. :)_

_As for the appearance of the Kid pirates and Kid himself, he'll be coming up soon in the future so look forwards to it. __Also, ratings may change from T to M in the future, so watch out._

_Well, I hope you guys enjoyed it and see you next time :)_


	2. Number To Name: Nova

To Paradise

Chapter 02

"Number to Name: Nova"

* * *

Consciousness returned slowly as did her senses to her arms and legs. Stiff and sore. It was as if a dozen marine warship had decided to run her over a few times. Slowly, she opened her eyes and blinked.

A wooden ceiling, sunlight filtering through the window beside her. A clean sheet covered her, soft and light. Bubbles rose from outside the windows, floating up slowly in the air and canopy of the towering striped trees.

A surreal view.

She blinked.

This was not what she expected.

"Oh, you're awake." She jerked as a voice rang out from the side, a warm and baritone voice of an elderly man. "You slept for quite a while there."

Sitting up was a painful process, every bone and muscle screamed as she moved them. But she did, and after a few minutes of struggling, she saw the face of her rescuer.

She blinked again.

It was indeed an elderly man, with hair long gone white, it hung around his neck and shoulders in messy waves. His beard was arranged in the oddest stripe-like pattern she had even seen and round glasses sat upon a sharp, angled nose.

Ah, it was a face she was terribly familiar with. How many times had she seen his bounty poster before? More than a thousand perhaps. A humourless laugh escaped her cracked lips, hoarse and dry, earning a quirked eyebrow from the older man.

Fate sure had a twisted sense of humour.

Of all the people who could find her and then _save_ her, it had to be the Pirate King's first mate and right hand.

Dark King Silvers Rayleigh.

If it had been only a mere week ago, she would have stood, fought him and got her arse beaten a hundred-no, probably a thousand years into the future but now…She closed her eyes. No…she didn't want to fight, not anymore. She felt…hollow and empty, as if her insides had turned into ash.

So she simply opted to ask the most prominent question in her still muddled brain, "Where am I?"

"You're at Sabaody Archipelago." Rayleigh replied as he took a drink from his flask, keeping his eyes on the girl.

"…I see."

Rayleigh watched as she stared across the room in what seemed like a daze, "So what was a young woman like you doing passed out in the lawless area? With such injuries no less." He eyed the bandages wrapped all around her body with a slight frown.

A brief moment of silence.

"I…got into a fight." She finally replied half-heartedly. It was a blatant, obvious lie, both of them knew it but Rayleigh accepted it anyways with a nod.

"Well, call me Ray-san." He smiled warmly, "What is your name, young lady?"

She gave him a suspicious glance from the corner of her eyes and then deflated, no point in getting her guards up now "I…am Dieci."

"Hmm." Rayleigh's expression turned thoughtful, "That means the number ten is that correct?"

At this, her fingers twitched "…Yes."

"And who gave that name to you?" Rayleigh pressed.

"I believe that it is none of your concern." She retorted with a scowl.

Silence reigned over the small room, and after a moment she lowered her gaze, "I…apologise." Her fingers fiddled with the blankets in her lap, and she stared blankly "It was given to me by my superiors, it is the only one I have."

"I see."Rayleigh smiled again and then stood, "Since you're awake now, I'll go see if Shakky can get you something to drink and eat."

He closed the door behind him.

Walking down the hallway Rayleigh pondered the girl's words. Nameless, only given a number to identify themselves. He had heard of people like her before, occasionally from pirates or marines that visited the bars he went to. They were a project of one of the largest organisations in the world, the silent agents that carried out their biddings without question.

Although he knew nothing of the girl he had found bleeding and unconscious in a paw-shaped indent on the ground, seeing the expression on her face…

He swept down the stairs.

It was something he did not approve of.

* * *

_A few days later._

She blinked, and unceremoniously tilted her head to once side "Nova? What's that?"

Rayleigh gave a laugh, "It's your name." At her confused look he smiled and elaborated, "I thought that having a number as a name was inadequate, and you seemed a bit sad with this so I thought of one for you myself."

A pause.

"I seemed…sad?"

"Yes."

Grey eyes blinked slowly as she digested the new piece on information. Finally, she asked quietly "What does it mean?"

Rayleigh smiled at this, having already known she would ask "It means new, and in astronomy, it is a star that shines very brightly." He watched as her expression changed into one of interest and added "Quite similar to the colour of your hair."

Her hands were immediately curling into her messily cropped hair which was a peculiar shade of grey, almost the colour of platinum.

"I think it is a very nice colour." Rayleigh stated after a moment of silence.

He folded his arms, "And what are you supposed to say?"

She gave him a comically bewildered look, and so he laughed, loud and heartily. Then placed a hand onto her shoulder and smiled warmly

"What do you say when you receive something from another person?"

For a moment, she floundered and wracked her brains for the words Ray-san was asking her for, "Uh…thank…you?"

Rayleigh placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair, "Correct."

"Ray-san."

"Yes?"

"I am…happy." She finally concluded, "I have not received something to truly call mine before," Looking up, she felt something warm expand in her chest, "Does those words express how I feel?"

"You say 'thank you' to express your gratitude to something." Rayleigh explained and watched as she soaked up the information and gave a curt nod.

"Thank you for the name, Ray-san." The girl, now named Nova, said sincerely, "I will…treasure it."

Rayleigh nodded, and gave her a light ruffle on the head.

"You're welcome."

* * *

_One month later. _

Rayleigh picked up the slip of paper sitting on the counter.

_Thank you._

_From Nova_

Rayleigh let out a sigh and rubbed a hand over the bridge of his nose, all the while smiling "Kids these days always rush off too fast."

* * *

_Author notes:_

_Chapter two is finally up! Finally, let's get te plot rolling with the appearance of the Kid pirates in the next chapter! Many thanks to everyone who favourited (if that is a word) and followed this story and special thanks to Ellielyse, The Silver Oak and Ryuka for your reviews. I really appreciate it!_

_Thanks everyone for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! I'll see you next time :)_


	3. Seeing Red

To Paradise

Chapter 03

"Seeing Red"

* * *

_The Grand line – Summer Island: Mellow Isle._

Eustass 'Captain' Kid was a man of power. Widely known for his strength and ruthlessness, his name constantly decorated the newspapers and many would cower before him in horror, scuttling for cover and security at the mere rumours of his arrival.

Even now, the streets were almost bare except for a few lingering drunks who didn't know left from right. The civilians having long fled into the relative safety of their homes, their doors slammed close in his wake.

All served to feed his growing ego.

As the infamous captain of the notorious Kid Pirates, he was strong, arrogant and proud; he knew it and accepted it. For he had the right to be the way he was, after all he had came this far with his strength, crushing all the people who had blundered into his path to become Pirate King into a bloody pulp.

Flaunting his strength to allies and enemies alike, he was a proud man who despised being stared at.

Beside him, Killer turned his head to the sides of the streets before commenting "At this rate, they'll probably try to refuse us if we so much as walked into a bar."

Grinning widely, Kid gave a humourless bark of laughter "I'd like to see them try."

The pirates came to a stop before a bar, dim light filtered through the cracked doors and the sounds of murmured conversations came through.

"This place will do." Putting a hand on the door, Kid shoved, the wooden panel flew back and hit the wall with a bang.

In that single moment, Kid struggled to control the urge to either turn on his heel and walk back out or blow the place to hell. Of course he was leaning towards the latter as the stench assaulted him, his fingers twitched.

"Kid…" A voice from his side warned him, the ever stoic Killer, always keeping a watchful eye out for the captain's temper.

"I know." Kid scoffed, disgust evident but he walked in anyways, strolling to an empty table and sinking into a chair languidly. His crew followed after him obediently, taking the remaining seats around the table, and as always Killer took place beside the captain.

Glasses filled with amber coloured liquid arrived an instant later, and Kid downed it in a single swallow. The alcoholic liquid burned down his throat, leaving a trail of fire behind. Kid went to grab another glass as his crew settled down to drink and converse.

Beside him Killer sipped at the drink with a straw through his mask. Where he had gotten the straw from Kid had no idea. He often found amusement at the idea of the man known as 'Massacre Soldier' keeping straws hidden up his sleeve to use for outings like this. Quiet murmurs of conversation once again began to fill the room as everyone began to relax, ever so slightly, in the presence of a pirate crew known to be blood-thirsty and violent.

It was then, Kid tensed.

Killer noticed the change in his captain, of course he would know, his mask tilted up to look at his captain who had started to scowl, lips curling downwards in a clear show of displeasure.

Kid's arm twitched, and immediately he _knew_ that someone was _staring_. He _always_ knew when someone was staring at him, he could literally feel their gaze resting on him, scrutinising him like some sort of insignificant _thing_.

It pissed him off.

A sigh sounded from his side, from Killer of course, but he ignored it. Slamming his glass down onto the table so that the other glasses rattled and sloshed liquid onto the table, Kid turned slowly, purposefully, swivelling in his seat to meet a pair of steel grey eyes.

The owner, a blonde (whatever that strange hair colour was) woman, ignorantly met his gaze.

Lips twisted into a dark humourless smirk as he stood, pushing his chair away with a crash.

Did he mention?

He hated being stared at.

* * *

_In a bar on Mellow Isle._

The scent of smoke, alcohol and sweat hovered in the air like thick mist, musky, smothering and putrid, it made her eyes sting and water. Snippets of conversion weaved in and out of the raucous chorus of laughs, the sound of clinking glass, the scrape of wood against wood. The typical icons that defined a rundown pub.

Nova let out a breath through her mouth, trying not to gag at the smell.

It had been almost a year since she had left Sabaody Archipelago, leaving only a single piece of paper to her rescuers. Entering the first half of the Grand line, the grand ocean widely known as Paradise, Nova was out to travel. Having obtained the skills of hitchhiking and stowing-away from Ray-san, Nova had utilised them efficiently and managed to _travel_ to this summer island: Mellow Isle.

Twirling the glass in her hand just to watch the liquid swirl, Nova sighed yet again and set the glass down with a _thunk_. Just what was she supposed to do?

_"You will see the world, meet many people and learn how to live, that is what you will do." _That was what Zero had said, but now that she was at sea, Nova had no idea at what she was supposed to do.

Searching for Zero and the others had resulted in no clues and more trouble than she could afford. Groaning at the memories of being chased around several towns, Nova buried her head in her arms. Sometimes she just wanted to approach the nearest wall and smack her head against it until all her worries flew away.

_Bang! _

Nova looked up at the sudden noise and blinked.

Red.

Indeed, the group of people who just walked in were not the average group she saw, they were dressed in a manner she had not seen before. But it was not their manner of clothing that captured her attention, it was something or rather a single _person_.

Her eyes were drawn automatically to that single man. The man standing smack bang in the front and centre of the newcomers, and it was not his array flamboyant and spiked clothing that caught her attention, nor was it the wide smirk that curled his lips up in a feral fashion.

It was the colour red.

The pure _redness_ of his hair.

For a moment, she was _captivated_.

His hair was flaming red, the colour of the most extravagant rubies and it _screamed_ for attention, and indeed, it got all the attention from the people in the bar including herself. But in the next second, everyone had turned away again with sweat running down the sides of their faces. Well, at least everyone except Nova who continued to look freely after the newcomers with growing interest.

His face was a familiar one, one that was printed across bounty posters and newspapers. The man was the infamous Eustass 'Captain' Kid who was gaining a greater bounty with every appearance he made in the papers. Following closely behind was 'Massacre Soldier' Killer, another pirate who was swiftly gaining fame.

Grey eyes trailed to the other members of the crew, all dressed in gothic-heavy-metal-styled clothing and some sporting brightly coloured mohawks-

Nova blinked, once, twice, three times.

Was that man over there wearing a corset?

…

_A new fashion trend. _Nova concluded as they walked- or rather, _sauntered_ in as if they owned the place and took place around a table. They were immediately served by a terrified waitress and began drinking, low murmurs of conversation began to fill the bar again.

Nova used the moment to further study the red-haired pirate. Studded goggles pushed his flaming hair up, showing off a pale, angular face defined with high cheeks and a sharp nose which gave him a distinctively male look. Absently, Nova noted that he lacked eyebrows, and he had dark shadows that outlined his eyes, making them seem even sharper, more _predatory_.

From physical appearance alone, Nova knew he was not one to be messed with. Adding the pure presence he radiated she knew he meant trouble.

Trouble she would rather avoid.

Not to mention the clearly defined muscles that outlined his chest and arms, flexing like taunt steel with each slight movement he made. So it was no surprise that even from a distance, she had seen the muscle in his arm jump, heard the quiet hiss of breath escaping from the masked man beside him and the tell-tale scrape of wood against wood.

Her eyebrows lifted, the man was turning in his seat, he-

He looked _right_ at her.

Nova froze, glass forgotten on the table.

Then he was standing, stalking towards her with a sweep of his metal-studded fur coat, boots thumping across the wooden floorboards ominously. From the look in his eyes, Nova knew she was not going to escape unscathed.

_So much for wanting to avoid trouble_. Keeping her eyes trained on the man as he approached, Nova shifted in her seat, planting her feet onto the ground to prepare herself for what was to come.

He was right before her now, towering over her like a wall-

_Bang._

A pale hand slammed down onto the table harshly and her glass toppled over spilling its contents across the wood

"You." His voice was deep and rough, it had an almost husky texture Nova absently noted, "What are you staring at me for?"

A sudden hush swept over the bar. Leaving behind a chilling silence so thick Nova felt she could cut it with a knife. It only grew thicker as silence stretched between them; only the sound of breathing could be heard. Nova stared up at the man as he sneered down at her, lips curling to show off all his teeth. The threat was obvious in his words, and Nova knew she was going to have to be careful if she didn't want to cause a scene.

"I apologise, I didn't mean to offend you."

Sure, it was a simple, polite apology. Usually people would back off at that right?

Her whole table flew across the room and splintered into a hundred pieces against the wall.

…Or maybe not.

"I asked you what are you staring at me for." Kid repeated, biting out each word as he leaned even closer hand now resting against the back of her seat, trapping her.

Nova blinked owlishly up at him, squirming slightly when his breath ran hot against her skin smelling of alcohol and something else she couldn't quite name. What was she supposed to do in a situation like this again? Would telling the truth be alright?

So she settled for simply saying, "I was looking at your hair, it's very red."

Horrified gasps rang throughout the bar.

Nova only had to see the muscle in his jaw work and his hand clenched into a fist before she promptly threw herself off her seat. Shouts rang throughout the bar followed by thundering footsteps. By the time Nova looked up, the chair she had sat in moments ago was a pile of broken splinters and the bar was empty except for the Kid pirates, the customers, waitresses and even the owner having mysteriously disappeared.

"I'm not someone you can just stare at because you find me _interesting_." Nova's head jerked up. His grin was even wider than before, promising pain and violence on her behalf. Nova swallowed dryly, not liking the glint in his topaz eyes.

He held out a hand, grinning all the while.

Nova sighed, rubbing a hand across her temple, her head was beginning to throb.

"Please stop, I-"

Suddenly the world spun madly and the floor was jerked from beneath her feet, Nova sprawled forwards uncontrollably with a gasp. She was being yanked forwards by the middle, glancing down, she saw the metal buckle of her belt literally trying to rip its way off the leather.

Her mind immediately connected the dots and came to one answer;_ he's a devil fruit user._

Nova tried to regain her balance in vain, feet tripping over one another as she was flung backwards and then forwards again like a rag doll. It was like a magnetic pull, an _insanely strong_ magnetic pull that wrenched her violently towards its origin.

The red-haired pirate who grinned manically.

He had one arm before him, the other drawing back into a fist-

Instinctively, Nova threw her arms in front of her face barely managing to block his punch. The force of the blow rattled her to her bones, the impact running up her spine and jostling her brain. It hurt a bit, but it was not enough to slow her. Switching from defensive to offensive, Nova sent her own fist flying at him and nailed him solidly in the side.

The corner of her lips curled as a muscle beneath his eye jumped. All of a sudden, the world toppled over and Nova was thrown face first to the ground before a pair of boots.

Above her Kid let out another laugh, loud and rough, "So the girl knows how to fight!"

He had expected to floor the cocky runt in a single blow, to knock that impassive look off her pretty little face in an instant. So it was obvious that he felt surprised when the woman had actually managed to _defend_ herself and then even _land_ a hit.

Still, the impact wasn't what he had expected, the sensation of hitting her had felt odd like he had punched something more than flesh and bone, something harder…but who cares?! Not him! Not anyone! Not when he was beginning to enjoy himself for the first time in a while. Maybe the woman, who seemed weak at first glance, could provide him with a bit of entertainment. She had blocked his blow with those twig-like arms of hers after all.

Nova took advantage of his momentary inattention, springing to her feet in a show of agility. Stamping one foot into the ground so hard the floorboards cracked and swung her other leg up to his unguarded middle fully intending to knock the wind right out of his lungs and end the meaningless fight-

_Wham._

Nova stared, surprised. His fingers closed around her ankle like steel bands, tightening to the point of it being painful. The golden bangles on his wrist gleamed in the flickering lights.

"It looks like you can fight a bit." Kid's smirk widened at the look of surprise on Nova's face, "maybe you can give me a bit of fun."

In the next instant, Nova was sent flying by an invisible force, back slamming into one of the doors before she was out into the warm night air. Flipping her body, she managed to land on the balls of her feet and she was rolling back onto her feet in an instant to face the man who followed out after her with a grin.

"Let's see how long you can last before you drop dead."

Kid watched as her face remained the same, blank and impassive. A muscle beneath his eye jumped, the woman was _mocking_ him! Acting far too cocky with her cool, unfazed façade, it was as if she was superior to him. His face broke into a smile that was underlined with something deadly, something that promised pain. Anyone who _dared_ to mock him, anyone who _dared_ to look down on him or even have to guts to laugh at him; they were as good as dead.

Onlookers were beginning to gather, Nova glanced around quickly, they were mostly other pirates, drunk and ignorant. Even the rest of his crew were filing out to watch the show, her grey eyes rolled by their own account.

Rubbing at her right arm, Nova frowned "I don't want to fight you."

She received a bark of laughter in reply, mocking and loud, it made the hairs on her neck stand on end.

"You don't have a choice here!" Kid crowed, hand moving to grab the hilt of his dagger as he stalked towards her "You're the one who was staring at me, girly! Even now you're annoying me with that blank face of yours."

A pause.

"…Girly?" Nova repeated blankly in a dull tone, "Mocking? Blank face?"

The words simply did not register, she had only been looking at his hair right? There was no harm right? Did she really offend him that much?

It was obvious she had as Kid raised a hand, grinning as every piece of metal in the vicinity began to shudder and tremble. "I'm not going to let you off easy because you're a woman or anything, I'll crush anyone who mocks me."

Nova stared at him, truly baffled.

"This is a misunderstanding, I was not-" She never managed to finish as she was once again being dragged towards him again by the waist. Digging her heels into the ground, Nova hastened to unclip the belt with fumbling fingers.

_Click!_ The accessory came off and flew to join the growing mass of metal.

"Don't disappoint me now girly!" Kid raised his arms and every nail, pipe, sword, gun and rifle lifted. Under his command, everything piece of metal hung in the air like a cloud, a very _dangerous_ cloud that was threatening to rain down.

Nova swallowed thickly, eyeing the sharp metal cloud hanging above her head apprehensively.

Kid only grinned wider.

"Show me what you've got!"

* * *

_Author notes:_

_So Kid makes a grand entrance by attempting to beat up my OC at first sight! I admit that I kind of hesitate when writing dialogue for the cannon characters, but hopefully, I kept him in character. It's going to get more interesting in the next few chapters so stay tuned!_

_Thanks for everyone who reviewed and favourited! Any constructive criticism is also apprecated! Happy reading and I'll see you next time :)_


	4. Taboo

To Paradise

Chapter 04

"Taboo"

* * *

"Stop running around like that, girly!"

Nova jumped high to avoid the mass of metal aimed at her feet, landing agilely a distance away on the balls of her feet only to throw herself to the side as swords hurled towards her. Rolling to a dusty stop, Nova eyed the miniature crater at where she had been standing mere moments ago apprehensively. A result of his attack, an attack she did _not_ want to be hit with.

Turning her gaze back to a snarling Eustass Kid, Nova made sure to speak neutrally and calmly, hoping to pacify the raging pirate, "I will not stop running, it will hurt if I get hit."

She couldn't help but notice how a vein popped up on his temple as his scowl deepened. For what reasons, she had no idea but she continued to speak in the same pacifying manner "Also my name is not 'girly, it is Nova-"

"I don't _care_ about you name!"

_Bang!_

Gravel and dust whipped at her face at the force of the attack and she was sent tumbling backwards head over heels. Nova came to a stop a few metres away from the newly formed crater, splayed on her back. Grey eyes stared listlessly up at the night sky, just what had she done to deserve this sort of treatment?

At the sight of her unmoving body Kid let out a bark of laughter, sharp and humourless "What? Are you done for already?"

For a moment, Nova really considered to play dead but then realised just how illogical she was acting and lifted her head off the ground. Eustass Kid stood there, lips curled in a dissatisfied frown, arms folded across his chest. From the look on his face, he wasn't going to let her off easy. Heaving a sigh, Nova sat up and frowned disapprovingly at the red-haired pirate.

Seriously, to jump at a chance to fight without a reason and without thinking ahead, he was way too hot-headed and unreasonable. Folding her arms, Nova gave herself an approving nod; yes those were the right words to describe Eustass Kid.

"What was that?" His low drawl, jerked her from her moment of inattention.

_Eh?_ Nova quickly looked up only to see the pirate advancing on her, the sadistic smirk on his lips making him seem even more demonic than before. She scrambled to her feet and backed away hurriedly, trying to maintain some distance between them despite knowing his attacks were long-ranged.

"I'm hot-headed and unreasonable? You sure have guts to lecture me." Kid repeated, grin growing wider and wider as he approached, matching her step by step.

Nova jerked in surprise.

What? Did she say that out aloud? She hadn't meant to though. Now, he was looking even more pissed than before, Nova sighed. Definitely not a good sign for her health. Then, to her surprise, he burst out into a fit of laughter, rough and loud. The sound rumbled out from deep inside his chest.

Nova openly stared at him, completely stunned and confused, _this man is bipolar._

His laughter faded to deep chuckles soon after, and Kid grinned savagely at her, taking in her surprised expression. It was a good change from her annoying blank face he noted absently.

"Girly, no one has dared say anything like that out loud in my face before. You're either real brave or just plain stupid to do that." He paused for a moment then concluded, "Actually, you're just stupid."

Nova opened and closed her mouth a few times earning a smirk from the pirate, "What? Cat got your tongue girly?"

Snapping her mouth shut, she narrowed her eyes and spoke loudly, "You're rude as well as unreasonable, how _delightful_." Kid only grinned wider, as her voice dripped sarcasm."And as I said before, my name is _Nova_" Making sure to stress out her name, Nova fixed her own glower on him. "Stop calling my girly."

Kid only laughed completely unfazed as he folded his arms in front of his chest "I might just remember your name if you stop running around," He grinned "_Girly_."

Nova twitched, _this man was truly_ _unreasonable._

* * *

Killer watched with growing interest as his captain fought the woman. She had been doing unexpectedly well, having only received a few scratches from Kid's attacks. Killer had been more than a little surprised at the fact that she had managed to survive five minutes against Kid, it was truly a miracle in itself.

However, the longer he watched, the more suspicious he grew. The woman, Nova-as she had named herself to be, was no ordinary person. Throwing insults back at Kid as she dodged and ducked every single thing Kid threw at her.

It was as if she wasn't taking the fight seriously at all. After all she had just dodged around the entire place while making no visible effort to attack.

She was truly an oddity.

Then she had did something completely unexpected, she told Kid off as hot-headed and unreasonable (something he did rather often himself). Killer had half-expected Kid to crush her in the next second, but Kid had burst out laughing. Not a sort of mocking laugh, it was a genuine laugh of amusement and hilarity.

The laugh clearly stunned his opponent, as the woman stood and stared with her mouth hanging open until Kid decided to point it out. Her face her contorted for a moment, as she glowered at Kid with sudden intensity, clearly annoyed.

It was then; an idiot came and did the taboo.

* * *

"Hey! You! Eustass I heard ya wanted to find One Piece ey?"

This captured Kid's attention in less than a millisecond, topaz-coloured eyes were flashing up in an instant, focusing onto the person who said it. His name and the words 'One Piece' in a single sentence was enough to make him pause in anything he did. This included postponing his little 'fight' with the girly.

Kid sneered at the sight he was met with. It was a drunken man, face red from alcohol and swaying madly on his two feet.

A slight distance away, Nova began to back away slowly one step after the other. Almost immediately, sharp yellow eyes landed on her, glaring harshly and accusingly. Nova froze in mid-step, meeting Kid's gaze head on wide-eyed and still. Kid's eyes narrowed momentarily, the woman was truly strange, still meeting his eyes without any sort of fear.

Well, he would deal with that later but first…

Slowly, Kid turned back to the drunk to address him with a sneer, "That's right, I am going to find One Piece." Eyes were narrowed, gleaming in the faint light and something stirred in the depths of his eyes.

"I'm going to become the Pirate King."

A brief moment of silence.

"Pft! Ahahahaha!" The drunken man doubled over in laughter, choking and hiccupping as he slapped his knees. "Ya said it, ya said it! Ahahaha!"

Nova blinked.

It was as if the laughter was contagious, Nova watched as it spread through the crowds like wild fire until everyone was engulfed in it. Everyone was laughing except for herself and the Kid pirates. Nova heard a faint sigh come from the masked man from the side and frowned, what was so funny about what he said?

"Ya gonna find One Piece ya say? Ya gonna become pirate king? Don't joke with yerself!" The drunk wobbled on his feet, pointing a finger at Kid and hiccupping. "There ain't no such thing as One Piece, get it through ya head! Yer just gonna die, chasin' a useless thing like that!"

Nova felt a muscle beneath her eyes twitch, the drunk had no right to criticise the goals and ambitions of another person. Turning her gaze back to Kid, Nova felt her breathing stop momentarily. Dark shadows covered his face, lips were curled cruelly and his eyes.

Nova sucked in a breath, his eyes gleamed bright, unnaturally so. He truly looked terrifying. All traces of humour were long gone, leaving behind something darker, deadlier, something _murderous_. Nova swallowed dryly, somewhat glad that his gaze wasn't directed at her.

"You laughed." The two words, said with frightening clarity made everyone fall silent once again.

So silent that Nova could hear the wind blowing through the streets. So silent she thought that her heart was beating too loudly against her ribcage. Kid straightened slowly, almost in a relaxed manner, hands splayed in the air before him, muscles in his arms flexing, but judging from the feral grin that stretched his lips in an upwards arc and the wild, _maddened_ glint in his eyes, he was nothing but that.

"I'll slaughter anyone who laughs at my ambition."

The first screams rang shrill into the night.

* * *

Warm night air whistled past her, beating against her face and whipping through her hair wildly. Nova was running, arms and legs pumping as she sprinted down the cobblestone path towards the docks, kicking debris and rocks up behind her.

Why was she running as if the demons from hell were after her?

The answer is simple.

The demon from hell _was_ after her.

The demon known as Eustass Kid.

Well, he wasn't after her now, but she instinctively _knew_ he was going to come after her after he finished demolishing the whole isle. Yes you heard right, he was destroying the entire place. Nova spared a brief moment to glance behind. A sea of fire, grey plumes of smoke rose into the dark sky like winding snakes, buildings crumbled and toppled over under an invisible force and the screams of people were fresh in the air.

The man was truly fearsome.

…and unreasonable, to raze he whole of Mello Isle to the ground due to one thing – laughter.

Laughter directed towards the proud pirate and in an instant, Kid's priority had switched from beating the life out of her to destroying the entire place with his devil fruit ability. Once again, Nova was baffled by the reaction the exchange had incurred, but nevertheless, she took the chance to flee.

Now, she was already halfway to safety.

Focusing her gaze towards the shore, Nova was barely able to make out the outline of the docks in the darkness.

_Boom!_

Another building was skewed with metal, and Nova stumbled at the blast of wind that hit her on the back like a brick wall. Dark looming objects began to come into sight.

Ships.

Skidding to a halt at the docks, Nova peered around with narrowed eyes. Now was the time to put her stowing-away skills on the test. The only problem was that many of the ships were already on fire, crumbling under the roaring flames. She was left with a limited choice and the approaching voices only pressured her further.

"Boss sure went all out this time." Nova jumped, swinging around harshly towards the direction of the voice, it was close.

"Yeah, did you see how he took care of the guy who laughed first?" Another voice, even closer.

The voices were growing louder by the second; there was no time for hesitation. Nova made her decision in a split second; get onto the nearest ship that _wasn't_ burning. Taking a massive jump, she flew upwards and landed on the wooden railings lightly before jumping onto the deck. Immediately, she was running for cover, yanking a door opening and darting inside quietly. It was after a few moments of shuffling in the darkness that she managed to find a hiding spot in the corner with many other containers. Settling down, Nova pulled her knees up to her chest and closed her eyes tiredly.

Today had been hectic. She could only hope that this ship would take her somewhere where she wouldn't meet the red-haired pirate again.

* * *

_Author notes: _

_Haha! Things will start getting more interesting from now on! Hopefully I kept Kid in character and if anyone thinks not, please comment and tell me how I could improve :) Also, I just realised that I haven't done a disclaimer for the story yet so here goes:_

_One Piece belongs only to Eiichiro Oda, only Nova and parts of the plot belong to me._

_Thanks to all the favourites and follows and many thanks to everyone who reviewed; I really appreciate all your comments and support! :D_

_Thanks again to everyone for reading and I'll see you next time!_


	5. Too Close For Comfort

To Paradise

Chapter 05

"Too Close For Comfort"

* * *

It was terrible enough that Fate already had a twisted sense of humour. Too bad Nova just recently discovered that it also had sudden flashes of inspiration and like now, decided to make her half-sit, half-squat inside a barrel.

Yes, you heard right. A barrel of all things. But she couldn't complain, not when it was providing her with her only safe haven. Actually, the fact she was residing in a barrel was only a miniscule issue, a minor setback equivalent to forgetting to water a plant for a day when it was compared to her _true_ dilemma. Her true problem was something a hundred-no, a _thousand_ times worse than being stuck in a barrel. It was the fact that-

"Boss seems to be in a pretty bad mood today…I think it's 'cause of last night…"

"Yeah, I saw Boss just then, he still looks pissed. Even Killer-san seems a bit tense and annoyed today..."

"Pft, how can you tell if Killer-san is annoyed? You can't even see his face with that mask he wears for Roger's sake…"

Nova let out a breath she hadn't realised she had been holding as the voices and footsteps faded away. Yes, you guessed right. Out of _all_ the ships moored at the docks, she just _had_ to board on this one.

The pirate ship that belonged to Eustass 'Captain' Kid, the very person she had so hoped to avoid.

How on _earth_ did she even manage to do that? Despite the fact that many of the ships had already been burned down, there had still been quite that remained unharmed, and she just _had _to choose this one to be a stowaway on.

Now, Nova could only sit-squat and hope she would not be forced to do something drastic like abandon ship while running from a horde of heavy metal themed pirates led by the most unreasonable one of all. Nova winced and shifted when sweat dripped into her eyes. Sullenly, she decided that if she ever got a hold of fate, she would choke the breath out of it with her bare hands.

* * *

Killer knew.

There was something amiss, something explicitly wrong. But he couldn't seem to place his finger on _what_ exactly was wrong. It was just a gut feeling, like a heavy rock was sitting in the pit of his stomach and he had learnt long ago _not_ to ignore the feeling. So he stalked through the ship, going through every room, every container and every single damn crevice. No matter that some of the crew gave him a questioning glance; he swept across the deck like a storm with a mission. Even climbing up to the crow's nest to scan the seas for signs of unease.

Nothing.

Maybe it was just him? Perhaps his blood and body was just tingling from yesterday's fights, yesterday's trill when they tore down an entire isle? No, the feeling was different; this was a real sense of restlessness and disquiet.

Then, he came upon _the_ barrel.

The barrel that sat there in the cargo room just a little _too_ innocently.

His fingers twitched as a small thump and a shuffling sound came from the inside.

He stood corrected.

There was _definitely_ something amiss.

And it was in this _barrel_.

Slowly, he pulled his scythes from its sheath on his hip and clipped them onto his hand guards with a loud and solid _click_. It was a sound that both occupants of the room (or barrel) heard as loud and clear as a firing gun. A sound that announced the beginning of a fight that would eventually develop into a battle royale on the deck.

In the next instant, something white burst through the top of the barrel just as Killer lunged forwards rotating blades flashing through the air. Surprise made him falter the slightest bit. Killer recognised the pale face through the mess of greyish hair, it was the woman from yesterday, the one who had boldly and openly stared at Kid and lived.

On the other hand, Nova didn't hesitate at all. Grabbing the lid of the barrel, she pitched it at Killer and barely managed to redirect the trajectory of the blades from her head to the side. With a grunt, Nova heaved herself out of the barrel and towards the door just as the room exploded with woodchips as Killer's blades slashed into the barrel, decimating it completely. Immediately, Killer surged out of the door after her, blades twirling. Doing a mad dash along the passageway of the ship, Nova almost took out a few people in the process.

"Excuse me!" Surprised shouts rang out as she darted past confused crew. Risking a glance behind Nova winced, the masked man was still chasing after her like a bloodthirsty hound from hell. The door was right there, she didn't hesitate to kick it open. Bursting out into the open she almost crashed into a zombie-like man with long pale-blue hair.

"Get the woman!" Killer voice came from behind and the zombie-man immediately obeyed.

Large had snatched at her and caught her by the arm, but using the momentum Nova swung her body up and kicked the man in the shoulder, forcing him to let go with a grunt. Quickly, she flitted out of his range only to find herself surrounded.

_Brilliant_. Note the sarcasm.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" They all gave her a look, and Nova couldn't help but stare at colourful Mohawks sticking up in the air.

"You're on our ship." Someone in the crowd supplied bluntly, and Nova let out a little embarrassed cough.

"Yes, there is that-"

Her words were cut off by a sudden yell from a random crew member. "She's a stowaway, get her!"

All of a sudden, they were launching themselves at her from all direction. Yelling, shouting, it was chaos. One after the other, she cracked noses, kicked stomachs, broke fingers.

That was until Killer approached with his blades out and gleaming and they all backed off. Nova tugged at her torn shirt with a frown. Other than a few artificial cuts and bruises, she had escaped relatively unharmed.

"Just give up," Killer spoke as she glanced around, "You've got nowhere to run to." To make his point, his scythes started to rotate again, the mechanical buzz cutting through the air.

"Wait! Let's talk this through like civilised people shall we?" Nova yelled over the whirring of the blades and ducked to avoid a decapitating swipe.

"Says the stowaway on a pirate ship." Another slash, "We don't tolerate stowaways."

Nova paused to consider for a moment before shrugging and leaning back to avoid another blow, "Fair enough."

Killer lunged forwards, cutting a sweeping arc in the air intent on cleaving the stowaway in two. In response, Nova lurched back and kicked up at the hand guards Killer wore to push away the rotating blades which came too close for comfort – a mere centimetre from her nose.

After exchanging a few more blows Killer paused and drew back, "You're the woman from last night," he stated the fact easily.

"Yes, and you are 'Massacre Soldier' Killer." Nova offered the slightest tilt of her head even as her expression remained impassive, "I must say I'm not at all pleased to meet you."

Killer ignored her last mutter, "What are you doing on this ship?"

"I was just trying to get off Mello Isle, since you peope decided to burn it to the ground" Nova replied as if she was talking of the weather, in a light tone "I never intended to become a stowaway on a pirate ship let alone Eustass 'Captain' Kid's-"

Suddenly the entire boat dropped a few metres as it rolled over a particularly large wave. Nova lost her footing and in the next split second, the back of her head had cracked against the floorboard and Killer was above her. Pinning her down, a scythe cutting into the skin of her neck and drawing a trickle of blood. Some of the crew cheered whilst others just stood back to watch the show play out. Nova blinked up at him, he was faster than she had expected, _what should I do now?_

Killer pressed down on her, he had expected fear, screaming and even begging, but there was none. There was only a sense of calmness as she remained still beneath him, arms trapped beneath his legs.

Nova let out a sigh, wincing when the blade cut even deeper into her neck. "This is tiresome." She finally muttered, in a voice that was way too composed and bland.

Killer pressed the blade harder into her neck, drawing more blood "You're in no position talk like that."

Nova resisted the urge to roll her eyes "Honestly, I really wanted to avoid all this trouble," She flexed her fingers, there was just enough room for her to move "but trouble tends to find me."

All of a sudden Killer jerked back and in the next moment, Nova drew her knees up and kicked him off. Landing solidly on his feet a distance away, Killer straightened, feeling his senses and skin tingling unpleasantly as she stood back up, seemingly unfazed.

He knew what she did. In a split second, she had managed to wrestle out an arm and reach for his neck. Killer had felt her fingers touch his skin for a split second before he had moved back, giving her the chance to throw him off.

She was strong.

Although she looked just like any other civilian, save for her silvery-coloured hair and steel grey eyes that seemed hard and flat. Killer knew she was strong, raising his scythes before him he eyed her through the holes in his mask. She was an obvious threat to the entire crew, that much was obvious considering she had just fought them and escaped with only minor injuries.

Before him, Nova wiped at the blood on her neck with her sleeve "If you want to kill me, you will have to try harder." Looking up, she allowed herself a little smile as she flexed her fingers "It was a good attempt though."

Killer only widened his stance; he tensed readying to lunge, to finish off the fight before things could get out of hand-

"Wait a moment Killer."

Both Killer and Nova jerked to a halt.

Nova looked up, and immediately wished she hadn't. It was _him_. The unreasonable, hot-headed pirate that insisted on fighting her for a childish reason such as looking at his hair.

"Kid, she's a stowaway." Killer didn't ease out of his stance.

"I know, I'll deal with her," Dark lips pulled up in a feral grin as Kid stepped forward "Good timing girly; I was just starting to get a little bored." A distance away, Nova rubbed a hand across her face as Kid turned to her with a sweep of his extravagant coat.

Killer let out a breath, not liking the way things seemed to be progressing.

"We never did get to finish our fight from yesterday right girly?" Kid smirked widely when Nova visibly twitched.

"The name is Nova, get it right." She said dully, eyeing the man with obvious annoyance.

Kid only scoffed, "I'll call you anything I want, and this is _my_ ship you're on, you're in no position to complain about anything."

Nova felt a muscle beneath her eye jump, "If it is about staring at you, I have apologised have I not?" She rubbed the side of her head, feeling a headache brewing behind her temples. Really, all she had wanted was to get to the next island in one piece. She didn't want to deal with red-headed pirates who razed an entire island to the ground beause someone laughed.

"Yeah, there's that but that's not the main point anymore."

Nova folded her arms, quirking an eyebrow in his direction. "Alright then, what's the point of this whole 'fight' we are having?"

"You get on my nerves!" Kid crowed in reply, clenching his fists before him, "and I slaughter anyone and everyone who pisses me off."

Nova gave him the blankest stare yet.

"So," She spoke slowly, as if having difficulty comprehending what Kid just said, "you want to fight me and beat me up because I-uh-'get on your nerves and piss you off'?"

"Are you deaf woman?" Was all the reply Nova needed, she simply nodded and then asked hopefully "So, if I fight you without running, can I stay on this ship until the next island?"

This time Kid gave her a stare, "Fuck no."

Nova sighed; well at least she tried to get a ticket to the next island.

Kid smirked, "I'll toss you right off my ship after I'm done with you. So come on girly, let's get this started." Kid's hand went to grasp the hilt of his dagger and he drew it out slowly with a grin.

"You're persistent."Nova muttered even as sank into a stance. There was no avoiding it now; she would have to fight to not get thrown overboard by a bunch of barbarians.

Kid only grinned wider, "I always get what I want."

At this Nova couldn't resist the curling of the corners of her mouth, "I am beginning to see that."

Nova moved first, lurching forwards with an arm drawn back to strike. Kid smirked, flinging a hand out before him-

_Bang! Crack!_

The world suddenly heaved and toppled to the side in a brilliant flash of thunder. The winds howled and tore at the sails as the sea pitched and rolled furiously, sending the ship pitching violently towards-

A shout.

"It's a cyclone!"

* * *

_Authors notes:_

_Hello readers! It's been a while since I've updated, I do apologise but I have been busy with exams and I am a person who writes on whim so bear with me. _

_**For the readers who have already read this story previously**__, I'd just like to tell you that I've __**drastically changed the contents of Chapter 1 and Chapter 2**__. I admit that I started this story largely without a proper plot, and after spending a bit of time planning this story out, I believe I've come up with a half-decent plot and so I altered quite a bit of the previous chapters so please do go back and read it! _

_Big thank yous to everyone who reviewed, I really do like seeing how eveyone thinks about this do give me any advice about my writing style or things I could improve on. Also, many thanks to everyone who added this story to their favourites and alerts!_


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